Iran Builds Advanced Mohajer Drone with Enhanced Range

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visits a new drone called "Mohajer 10" with a range of 2000 km, in Tehran, Iran, August 22, 2023. Iran's Presidency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visits a new drone called "Mohajer 10" with a range of 2000 km, in Tehran, Iran, August 22, 2023. Iran's Presidency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
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Iran Builds Advanced Mohajer Drone with Enhanced Range

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visits a new drone called "Mohajer 10" with a range of 2000 km, in Tehran, Iran, August 22, 2023. Iran's Presidency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visits a new drone called "Mohajer 10" with a range of 2000 km, in Tehran, Iran, August 22, 2023. Iran's Presidency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Iran has built an advanced homemade drone named Mohajer-10 with an enhanced flight range and duration as well as a greater payload, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

The drone has an operational range of 2,000 km and can fly for up to 24 hours, media said. Its payload can reach 300 kg, double the capacity of the "Mohajer-6" drone.

A video released on Tuesday by Iranian media displayed the drone among other military hardware, with text saying "prepare your shelters" in both Hebrew and Persian.

Published on Iran's military industry day, the video's text reflects simmering tensions between arch foes Iran and Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying on Monday that Tehran has funded and encouraged a series of recent deadly attacks against Israelis.

US officials have accused Iran of providing Mohajer-6 drones, among other unmanned aerial vehicles, to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Tehran denies this.



Russia Targets Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day

Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024.  Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
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Russia Targets Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day

Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024.  Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers carry the body of a killed person at the site where an apartment building was hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine December 24, 2024. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via REUTERS

Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine's power sources, in a statement on X. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said one Russian missile passed Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?" Zelenskyy said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”
He said Ukraine has managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.
Ukrainian energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said Russia again “massively attacks energy infrastructure," in a Facebook statement. Ukraine’s Air Force alerted multiple missiles fired at Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions east of the country.
“The (electricity) distribution system operator takes the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimize negative consequences for the power system,” he said. “As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will establish the damage caused.”
Ukraine’s biggest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia struck one of their thermal power plants Wednesday morning, making it the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year.
“Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK wrote on his X account.
Ukrainian state energy operator, Ukrenergo, applied preemptive power outages across the country, due to a “massive missile attack,” leading to electricity going out in several districts of the capital, Kyiv.
At least seven strikes targeted Kharkiv sparking fires across the city, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At least three people were injured, local authorities said.
“Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places,” Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.